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Wood Picture Frames - 4 Pitfalls You Need to Know

By Autumn Lockwood

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 27Sep2009 Word count: 714 Viewed: 740 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

Does your favorite photo deserve the beauty of a wood picture frame? When you shop for the perfect wood frame, you need to be aware of four pitfalls that could affect how happy you are with your frame purchase. Although these pitfalls are easily avoidable, they are commonly not considered when purchasing a wood frame.

Pitfall #1: Mistaken Identity- It is important to know the different types of wood picture frames on the market before you make your purchase. Wood frames are available in solid wood, composite and wood veneer. Knowing the type you are buying also lets you know how much you will be spending because costs vary depending upon the type of material.

Composite Wood: Composite wood is made of compressed wood pieces that are glued together with an adhesive. This is the least expensive type material. With composite wood it is easy and economical to make frames with decorative or beaded borders and decorative round or oval frames. Composite wood provides quality construction and ornamentation without hand carved or glued on decorative pieces. If you have chosen an inexpensive "wood frame," chances are it is made of composite wood.

Wood Veneer: Wood Veneer frames use a thin sliver of real wood glued to a less expensive type of solid wood or, in some cases, composite wood. Wood veneer is used to give a frame a real wood look without using an expensive solid wood for the entire frame. It is more economical to use a veneer with expensive, exotic or burl woods. Using a sliver of these woods is a great way to get the beautiful look of the wood while allowing more frames to be made from a limited resource.

Pitfall #2: Wood isn't Perfect- Although many people enjoy wood because of its natural variation in color, wood grain and natural imperfections, often we expect wood to look perfect. However, wood isn't perfect. You need to remember when purchasing a solid wood frame that wood will naturally have imperfections in the wood grain. People sometimes forget this and expect that when they buy a solid wood frame it will come without imperfections. High quality frame manufacturers do their best to minimize these variations, but these variations are just a natural part of the frame that gives it a unique appearance. Just be aware, before you buy your frame, that imperfections and variations in the wood are common.

Pitfall #3: Sensitivity of Unfinished Wood- If you are familiar with unfinished wood, you may already be aware of this pitfall. An unfinished wood frame is raw wood and has no protective lacquer or coating to seal the wood. Keep in mind that a simple droplet of water or greasy fingerprint can leave a mark on the unfinished wood frame that will be difficult to fix. If you do choose an unfinished wood frame, keep liquids away and avoid touching the unfinished surface. These steps will prevent permanently damaging your frame.

Pitfall #4: Misleading Colors- If you are looking for a particular color in a wood frame, this pitfall is an important one to remember. Frame manufacturers describe frames with words like cherry, walnut, teak or rosewood. This does not mean the frames are made from these types of wood. Most people will associate a color with wood tone names so the descriptive words indicate the color of the frame, not the material from which it is made. Nowadays most frames are rarely made of solid woods, like cherry, walnut, teak or rosewood, but are instead stained those colors.

Reading the frame description carefully, or asking the frame retailer directly, will clarify if the frame is made from these solid woods or if just stained the wood color. Usually, if it is not stated that a frame is made of "solid walnut" or "solid teak," you can be fairly certain it is just stained that color. Note: solid wood frames like walnut, teak and cherry will be more expensive than their stained solid wood counterparts. You will also be able to see each distinct wood grain.

Now that you know the four potential pitfalls when buying wood frames, you will save yourself time, money and frustration by avoiding them, and you will feel confident in selecting the perfect wood frame to display your favorite photo.

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